Two-dimensional (2D) materials, such as graphene, hexagonal boron nitride and a family of metal chalcogenides represent a class of atomically thin crystals that have fascinating fundamental properties and show promise for a wide range of applications. Larger homogeneous areas of these materials have been investigated intensely. Much less understood are effects that arise in heterogeneous materials, either near naturally occurring defects, impurities, and boundaries, or as a result of intentional alloying and interface formation. Addressing such systems experimentally involves significant challenges: Understanding atomistic growth mechanisms, so that systems with specific “imperfections” and controlled interfaces can be realized; and probing emerging local properties at scales that match the relevant length scales in heterogeneous systems. I will discuss our recent progress in addressing these challenges by in-situ microscopy of the growth and processing of 2D materials and heterostructures, and by spatially resolved measurements of electronic structure and optoelectronic properties. The results contribute to a foundation for robust technologies that harness inherent or engineered heterogeneity in atomically thin materials.

Bio: Peter Sutter received his Diploma and Doctorate in Physics from ETH Zurich, Switzerland. Following a Swiss National Science Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, he was Assistant/Associate Professor at the Colorado School of Mines and Group Leader at Brookhaven National Laboratory before joining the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2015 as a Professor in Electrical and Computer Engineering. His research focuses on the growth and electronic properties of two-dimensional materials and nanomaterials for energy conversion processes, studied primarily by novel in-situ microscopy and measurement techniques. He received several awards, among which the NSF Career Award, the Scientific American 50 Award, and the Sapphire Prize. He has authored more than 160 peer-reviewed publications, presented numerous invited talks, and holds 7 U.S. Patents.